Tendernessontheblock is both shocked and honoured to have received a nomination for an Inspiring Blogger Award. Shocked that she would inspire anyone to do anything, honoured if that anything is nothing other than reaching the end of her blog posts without losing the will to stay awake.

The impressive attention span responsible for this unsolicited act of kindness belongs to her fellow be-feathered blogger, richly endowed with a talent for reconciling the commendable efforts of everyday living with a turn of phrase and feeling that is all her own – Little Steps to Somewhere. Never one to miss out on an opportunity to exploit a situation for a top five, tendernessontheblock would like to thank her, using the top five expression of thanks in her native language:

1. Thanks a million
2. Ah you shouldn’t have, but thanks
3. This old thing? A fiver in Penny’s
4. You’ll take half of it anyway
5. You’re insulting me now

The rules of the aforementioned award are as follows:

1. Thank the blogger who nominated you, and link back to their blog
2. List the rules and display the award on your blog
3. Share seven facts about yourself
4. Nominate 5 other blogs which inspire you and let the blogger know

To that end, tendernessontheblock wishes to highlight the following seven facts about herself:

1. Referring to herself in the third person simultaneously makes her feel like a wanker and gives her a brief high, sort of like eating cake, so it’s inevitable she’ll continue to do it for the remainder of the day.
2. Like many bloggers, she is a parent but is frequently freaked out by parenting blogs. This potentially alienates her from 80 per cent of the blogging community.
3. She is a keen parallel-parker and is a strong advocate for its inclusion in the Olympics as a bona fide sport. This thought occurred to her one night she managed to get a toy truck neatly between two phone directories with at least 5 pints of beer in her using only a battery remote control.
4. The name of her blog is the title of a song by Warren Zevon but she prefers the version by Freddie White. It sprays the scent of her childhood reminding her of all the competing feelings that have stayed alarmingly fresh into middle-age.
5. It is her firmly-held belief that beetroot was sent to test us, along with Stephen Fry and self-service checkouts.
6. Her fantasy dinner party guest list would include Jon Ronson, Stewart Lee, Ross Noble, and David Bowie.
7. Her early role models included Penelope Pittstop and Marmalade Atkins.

And now to the nominations:

1. The Airing Cupboard: Family life and childhood development made funny and refreshing by a writer willing to show her vulnerability
2. Trucker Turning Write &
3. J.D. Gallagher   – Both these men are committed word masons, with their own voice, their own humorous outlooks; their own men.
4. In and around Dublin – Life in pictures alongside wry commentary
5. As I Please – The one that doesn’t pop up enough in the Reader but any follower of it knows for certain it’ll be something to savour when it does

There will be no further comments on the matter. All other questions should be directed to her agent.

Thank you